Monhegan (study) 1922

This landscape drawing by Nicholas Roerich seems to be made using pencil on paper, with light strokes defining a coastal scene. The lack of detail and the emphasis on basic shapes gives it an abstract quality. The texture of the paper is visible, and the pencil lines are delicate, creating a sense of distance and openness. There is a gestural quality to the drawing, as if Roerich quickly captured the scene before him. Note, for example, how the lines of the foreground seem to cradle the ocean beyond. This reminds me of some of Agnes Martin’s minimalist landscapes. But, where Martin is interested in the meditative properties of the grid, Roerich’s study has a more expressive quality. Like much art, it is less about the actual view, and more about the act of seeing.